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On Monday, the Louisiana Department of Education released district and school performance scores for the 2022-2023 school year. The Vermilion Parish School System is proud to announce and celebrate an outstanding 1.9 point increase in its overall performance scores for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Superintendent Tommy Byler shared his thoughts on the accomplishment, saying, “This remarkable achievement not only reflects the unwavering commitment to excellence, but also highlights the efforts of students, educators, parents, and all of our Vermilion stakeholders.”
Vermilion Parish Ranks No. 1 in the Acadiana area and is the only district in the area to achieve “A” status. The Vermilion Parish School System had a 1.9 point growth from last year and has achieved “A” status once again as we rebound from the challenges of the pandemic.
The Vermilion Parish School System also is proud to announce that its
district ranks as one of the Top 10 districts in the State of Louisiana.
“We are very proud of where our system’s accomplishments have placed us. Being the top school system in the Acadiana area, once again is exciting. On the state level, we were excited to move up one spot. More impressive for our teachers and students is that of the top 10 schools, Vermilion had the fourth highest district growth,” Byler added.

Unprecedented Success
at Individual Schools

The success of the district was a direct reflection of the accomplishments of the individual schools. In a year that saw 15 of the parish’s 20 schools grow, here are a couple of highlights from schools reaching all time SPS scores in this year's accountability grades. This extraordinary accomplishment extends to the individual schools within the Vermilion Parish School System.
Cecil Picard Elementary celebrated a 5.0 point growth in performance scores, achieving its highest-ever performance score of 96.5 A.
Kaplan High School achieved its highest performance score ever at 108.1, with a notable 1.0 point increase from last year.
Seventh Ward Elementary reached new heights with a performance score of 94.9 A, reflecting a 1.8 point increase, and also reached its highest performance score ever. Dozier Elementary achieved a huge milestone of success with a remarkable 6.5 point growth in performance scores, marking its highest performance score ever at 93.4 A. Rene A. Rost Middle School also achieved its highest performance score ever at 79.5, showcasing a 1.0 point increase.

Significant Growth at
Individual Schools

While 15 of the 20 schools did show growth, Byler said the school system wants to recognize the following for exemplary growth:
• Jesse Owens Elementary
84.8 B, 6.6 point growth
• Dozier Elementary
93.4 A, 6.5 point growth
• North Vermilion Middle
86.4 B, 5.1 point growth
• Cecil Picard Elementary
96.5 A, 5.0 point growth
• Gueydan High
88.8 B, 5.0 point growth
• J.H. Williams Middle,
60.0 C, 5.0 point growth
• Herod Elementary
60.5 C, 4.2 point growth
• North Vermilion High
105.4 A, 3.6 point growth
Byler added, “Any growth is our ultimate goal, but when we see large amounts of growth from some of our schools, it is a testament to all of the efforts of our students, teachers and school leaders that they were able to execute their schoolwide goals and plans.”

Letter Grade Gains

Three of the parish’s schools moved up in letter grade status.
“We are proud of these accomplishments as well,” Byler said.
Those schools are:
• Dozier Elementary
86.9 B to 93.4 A, 6.5 point growth
• J.H. Williams Middle
55.0 D to 60.0 C, 5.0 point growth
• Herod Elementary
56.3 D to 60.5 C, 4.2 point growth

VPSS High Schools

The Vermilion Parish School System is proud to announce the remarkable achievements of its five high schools, which have earned well-deserved recognition for their outstanding performance. Among these institutions, Erath High School has truly shone by securing the fourth position in the state for traditional public high schools, closely followed by Kaplan High School, which stands at fifth. Not to be outdone, North Vermilion High School has earned its place at 11th.
“When you look at our scores in totality, it is a great accomplishment for the district. We know, however, that we have areas that can still be improved. We will continue to work hard on striving for greater excellence and achievement in this ever changing world of education,” Byler added.

According to Sheriff Mike Couvillon, the Vermilion Municipal and Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force made the following arrests for narcotics related offenses within the parish.
After receiving complaints in reference to suspected illegal narcotic activity, Agents conducted a thorough investigation to identify the residence and its occupants. After lengthy surveillance and covert operations, agents were able to secure a search warrant for the residence, identified as 10416 Arbor Road in Abbeville After the safe execution of the search warrant, Agents were able to locate various suspected illegal narcotics intended for Distribution throughout the parish. Whitney Fruge, 35, was arrested and charged with the following:
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule I, (Heroin)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule II, (Methamphetamine)
• Possession of Schedule IV, (Clonazepam)
• Possession of Schedule IV, (Alprazolam)
• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
• Possession of Schedule II, (Amphetamine)
• Possession of Schedule II, (Buprenorphine)

Sheriff Couvillon would like to thank the mayors, and their council, of Abbeville, Gueydan, and Erath, along with their chiefs of police, for their support of the Vermilion Municipal  and Sheriff’s  Narcotics Task Force. Sheriff Couvillon also applauds the concerned citizens of Vermilion Parish for their awareness and assistance in helping the Task Force in fighting the war on illegal drugs. He  encourages all citizens with information in regards to illegal drug activities to contact the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office or the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit at 337-740-4501 or E-mail the Task Force anonymously at taskforce@vpso.net and your e-mail will be held in the “strictest of confidence” and replied to in a very timely manner.  Sheriff Couvillon and the agents of the Task Force will continue their fight against narcotics dealers and narcotics traffickers inside of Vermilion Parish and will continue to network with other agencies in this fight. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.
More information on reporting drug activities can be seen on our Web Site at www.vpso.net. Click on Narcotics and fill out the TURN IN A PUSHER information. 

Friday night’s wet, dreary weather kept the crowd to a minimum for Abbeville High’s first-round playoff game against Pearl River at Wildcat Stadium.
Temperatures in the lower 60s and upper 50s and a steady rain throughout the game suited the Wildcats just fine, though, as Abbeville rushed for 418 yards in beating the visiting Rebels 34-20.
Many of the Wildcats chose to celebrate their third straight first-round playoff win with impromptu slip-and-slide fun on the field, adding a bit more mud to their already well-saturated red jerseys and white pants.
“We did a real good job up front,” Abbeville head coach Roderick Moy said. “We had to hold on there at the end. That’s a tough football team on the other side that didn’t want to go home. At the end of the day, when they got it within one score and we needed a drive to not end our season, we were able to put it together, and we were able to do what we do. We didn’t change who we were.
“We’re not going to change who we are. Everybody else got nervous, and I said, we need to go down and be ourselves. And we did.”
The Wildcats were unstoppable in the first half. Pearl River used a lateral and a long return on the opening kickoff to stun the home crowd right off the bat, but couldn’t convert the extra point and settled for a 6-0 lead with only seven seconds off the clock.
Abbeville took the ensuing kickoff to the 31, and proceeded to dominate the line of scrimmage and the clock the rest of the half.
AHS chewed up the next 3 1/2 minutes with an eight play drive, capped by Justin Montgomery’s three-yard TD run with 8:11 to go. Zaylun Williams came in at fullback to tack on the 2-point conversion for an 8-6 AHS lead.
Montgomery led the Wildcats with 130 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries.
After Tahj Judge snuffed out the next drive with an interception in the end zone, the Wildcats marched 80 yards in six plays, with quarterback Da’Zavien Maze scoring on a 20-yard keeper to extend the lead to 16-6 following a second 2-point run by Williams. Maze had 45 yards on six carries before leaving the game with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter.
After forcing a three-and-out, Abbeville marched 70 yards in eight plays, overcoming two penalties along the way, to tack on another touchdown, this time on a 23-yard run by Montgomery. The missed 2-point try left AHS with a 22-6 lead.
Another defensive stop set up a fourth straight touchdown drive, this one going 61 yards in 10 plays. Edmar Simon III capped the drive with a four-yard scoring run.
Simon finished the night with 53 yards and two touchdowns on only seven runs.
Abbeville scored on four of five first-half possessions with the only other touch coming on a kneel just before half after Williams recovered his own onside kick for the Wildcats with two seconds remaining in the half.
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Pearl River mounted a comeback try in the second half, scoring on Tashod Badon’s eight-yard run with 3:43 left in the third quarter and the 2-point conversion by quarterback Trey Turnage.
After an Abbeville fumble gave the Rebels the ball, Pearl River drove into AHS territory, but Simon picked off Turnage at the 1-yard line on the first play of the fourth quarter.
“I’ve been needing that all season,” Simon said. “All my defensive back guys have one, and I’ve been waiting to get mine. I told coach it was going to come when we most needed it, and it came.”
The ensuing drive stalled thanks to a couple of penalties, and after a punt to the Pearl River 39, Badon broke loose on a 61-yard touchdown, breaking tackles at the 20 and 10 yard lines along the way, to pull the Rebels to within 28-20.
Badon, one of two runners for Pearl River with 1,000 rushing yards this year, finished the night with 184 yards and three TDs on 20 carries. Ziderius Brown, the other 1,000-yard rusher for PRHS, finished the night with 27 yards on six carries.
Abbeville answered quickly, returning the kickoff to the 48 and then driving 52 yards on eight plays, capped by Simon’s 11-yard touchdown run with 3:07 left in the game.
Simon stressed the running backs’ unselfish play, allowing each other to shine while trying to control the clock and keep the ball away from Pearl River at the end of the night.
“That’s what we try to do,” he said. “Just pound the ball. We trust our offensive line and not being selfish and playing defense, letting those guys get the carries, then when coach needed me, I go punch it in.”
Ta’Zavian Andrews had 120 yards on the ground for the Wildcats on a dozen rushes. Williams added 26 yards on five bruising carries, with three of those carries on the final scoring drive.
“Everybody,” Moy said of the rushing success. “From quarterback, both backs (Andrews and Simon), both fullbacks (Williams and Montgomery). Defensive guys coming across (to offense) and doing a good job for us. Receivers doing a good job blocking on the perimeter. At the end of the day, those five big hogs up front, those five guys on the offensive line, won this ballgame for us.”
“Having those five seniors on the offensive line who have been with us, we can always count on them,” Simon agreed.
The extent of Maze’s injury had yet to be determined, but Moy is confident in Tahj Judge, who started at QB for two years before becoming primarily a cornerback this season.
“Hopefully we can get (Maze) back next week, but we’ve got a guy waiting in the wings, and if it’s bad news, we’ve got a guy back there we trust either way.”
Thirteenth-seeded Abbeville, which improved to 9-2, travels to No. 4 seed Lutcher (7-2) to face the defending Division II state champions this Friday.
No. 20 Pearl River finished the season at 5-5.

It’s been a while since the Abbeville High Wildcats were consistently thought of as a contender in the football playoffs.
Head coach Roderick Moy and his staff are working to change that and make the Wildcats a perennial playoff team aspiring to make deep playoff runs.
It started with a surprising 9-1 regular season in 2021 that saw Abbeville go 11-2 overall and reach the quarterfinals.
The Wildcats followed that up with a 7-5 mark in 2022 that included a first-round win.
This year’s senior class has added the school’s first district championship in 25 years and the first outright district title the team has won since 1997.
“We want to drive and make sure that now people aren’t just talking about that one 11-2 team in 2021,” Moy said. “We are driving to make ourselves a program that can be respected across the state year in and year out as a quality football program.”
Abbeville opens the Non-Select Division II playoffs at home on Friday against Pearl River (5-4).
The Wildcats won’t be sneaking up on the Rebels.
“I think people can say we caught them by surprise in 2021,” Moy said. “I don’t think people can say that anymore.”
It’s a credit to the schedule, which has included back-to-back Select Division III state champion St. Charles Catholic (10-0 and the No. 1 seed in the Select DIII playoffs) and St. Mary’s of Natchitoches (7-2, No. 6 in Select Division IV), which has been in the quarterfinals for three straight years.
“The schedule we put together and the brand of ball and the success we’ve been able to have, I think has put us up there with some of the quality teams,” Moy said. “We’re one of those teams now, hopefully, that people think to be successful for two or three rounds (in the playoffs), some of those games have to come through Abbeville.”
Abbeville scheduled St. Mary’s and St. Charles on the road to prepare the Wildcats for the rigors of a potential long trip for the playoffs.
“We don’t want our kids to be caught off guard, either,” Moy said. “Sometimes people take long trips and that gets them out of their daily routine of being in school all day. Sometimes kids are funny like that. We want to make sure we’re doing everything to make sure we’re preparing them for every situation. That way, when those things do come up in the playoffs, and you do have a two or three hour ride, that’s not going to be anything foreign to our kids, and they’re going to be ready for that and they’re going to be prepared for that and we’re going to be able to go out and just play the best game we can play without having to worry about any distractions because we’ve been through those things before.”
The Wildcats bring their veer option attack into the playoffs with a number of ballcarriers contributing. Justin Montgomery has 677 yards and six touchdowns on 92 carries, while Edmar Simon II has 665 yards and nine TDs on 69 rushes. Ta’Zavian Andrews has contributed 330 yards and a touchdown on 53 runs and fullback Zaylun Williams has 205 yards and five touchdowns on 26 carries. QB Da’Zavien Maze has 230 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries.
Williams also is a full-time starter on the defensive front, and Tahj Judge, who also plays some at quarterback, is a stalwart at defensive back.
“With our brand of ball it’s more of a wear-people-down than an early shot-taking thing,” Moy said. “Hats off to Kaplan (in the regular-season finale). They came in prepared, and slowed us down. But one thing about this offense, once we get going we’re tough to slow down.”
Pearl River is scary on offense, Moy said, using a run-oriented spread offense.
“They have two 1,000-yard backs, both over 200 pounds, so they’re going to be tough to stop,” he said. “We’re going to have to play, for lack of a better term, a Kaplan style ballgame of our best defense is going to be our offense, keep those two guys on the sideline while we hold onto the ball and hold onto the clock.
“Once we get in the red zone, we have to score. We’re going to have to score touchdowns. That’s the main thing for us. We can’t give those guys extra opportunities, and make the most of the opportunities we do have once we get into the red zone.”